Matching Buyer Preferences with SWFL Golf Communities

Fifteen years of selling real estate in our spectacular Southwest Florida golf communities has been an extremely gratifying and enlightening endeavor.  Regardless of whether my clients came from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, etc., they’ve all had the common objective of finding the golf home/golf community that would best fit their individual budget, family lifestyle, and golfing habits and ability.  However, the diversity of their personalized needs and wants is what has made my job truly challenging and exciting!      

The purpose of this article is to present you with some of the most common requests I’ve gotten from these folks…requests that reflected their individual preferences and priorities.  If you’re currently in the process of looking for a home in a Southwest Florida golf community, some of these requests might resemble your own.  If that’s the case, my answers will hopefully point you in the direction of the golf community, or communities, that will work best for you. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We’re from Michigan and we live on a lake.  We want to buy in a golf community, and also be able to boat and fish in a freshwater lake.  What golf communities would you suggest?”

ANSWER:  The Quarry (Naples) and Miromar Lakes (Fort Myers) have 500-700 acres of freshwater lakes for boating enthusiasts, along with challenging championship-caliber golf courses and superior amenities. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We’ve determined that we want to be in a bundled golf community with new construction.  What Naples bundled golf community works best for us?”

ANSWER:  Esplanade, an upscale bundled golf community, is still under development in north Naples and it offers amazing amenities and golf course. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We’re members of a private club in Chicago with only 250 members and we don’t have to set up tee times.  What Naples club, with less than a $50,000 initiation fee, would you recommend?”

ANSWER:  Greyhawk at Golf Club of the Everglades, also under development in north Naples, is restricting golf membership to 300-golfers, with no tee times required. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We have a big sailboat that we want to bring down here with us from New Jersey.  What golf communities in Southwest Florida also have a marina, with access to the Gulf of Mexico?”

ANSWER:  Your best golf community options for bringing along your sailboat or yacht are Windstar (Naples), Bonita Bay (Bonita Springs), and Gulf Harbour (Fort Myers)…all, obviously, very upscale golf communities. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We live on an Arnold Palmer golf course in Pennsylvania and we love its design and playability.  Did Arnie design any courses down here that we should consider?”

ANSWER:  Naples Lakes (bundled; Naples) and Wildcat Run (non-bundled; Estero) both feature Arnold Palmer “Signature” golf courses. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We’ve already determined that we want to be in a bundled golf community—preferably with 36-holes of golf—and we also want to use our personal boat to access the Gulf of Mexico.  Will any of the bundled golf communities work for us?”

ANSWER:  Pelican Sound (Estero) is the only bundled golf community west of Highway 41, and it has its own boat launch into the Estero River, along with shuttle boats to take resident members to Lover’s Key Island. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We won’t be able to be down here much the first few years we own our Southwest Florida condo, so we’ll probably just play public courses then.  But, after we retire, we’d like to have the option to join a private club.  Will any local golf community satisfy both desires?”

ANSWER:  Lely Resort, with two well-maintained public courses (The Flamingo & The Mustang) and one private course (The Classics), offers a great solution for this request.

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We want to buy in a Naples golf community—preferably with no more than $50,000 initiation fee—and we want to walk the course when we play.  What would be our best option(s)?”

ANSWER:  Eagle Creek, Kensington, and Greyhawk—all in Naples—allow golfers to walk at any time.  Some others allow walking with certain time restrictions. 

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We live on a TPC course in the Northeast, and we heard that there’s one in Southwest Florida that was co-designed by Arthur Hills and Hal Sutton.  Where is it?”

ANSWER:  Treviso Bay, located in southeast Naples, is the only bundled golf community in the TPC line-up of courses.

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We don’t like carports…we want to be able to put our car, and possibly a golf cart, in a 2-car garage.  However, we’re on a tight budget so we want a condominium in a bundled golf community, priced under-$250,000.  Any suggestion?”

ANSWER:  Naples Lakes condos—their least expensive properties—all have 1-2 car garages on the first floor of the building, with the condos located directly above them on 3-floors.  Many are priced under-$250,000, with furnishings included.

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “Money is no object with us.  We’re looking for a very large estate home with at least 7,000sf in one of your most prestigious golf communities.  We must have at least three 18-hole courses to play.  What communities come to mind?”

ANSWER:  Fabulous Grey Oaks (central Naples) has 54-holes of golf, and top notch amenities. Spectacular Bonita Bay (Bonita Springs) has 90-holes of golf, with three courses on-site and two courses located in north Naples.  Bonita Bay also has a marina, with Gulf access.

CUSTOMER REQUEST:  “We will only buy in a golf community that has its own Beach Club on the Gulf of Mexico…and we want to be in Naples.  Who do you recommend?”

ANSWER:  Pelican Bay, Fiddler’s Creek, and Mediterra—all in Naples—all have private Beach Clubs on the Gulf of Mexico.  Pelican Bay residents can walk, bike, or take a golf cart shuttle to their on-site Beach Club; the other two require auto or shuttle transportation.

If you’re in the market for a Southwest Florida golf home, I hope one-or-more of the above scenarios will enhance your search. This information, and much, much more regarding our 100+ local Southwest Florida golf communities can be found on my website, GolfHomeGuru.com.  Please check out my EXCLUSIVE “GURU Top 25 SWFL Golf Communities” web page, and feel free to contact me at any time for answers to your questions and/or help with your search.